As Summer Ends

Less than a month remains of my summer in Yellowstone, about three weeks. I’ve been thinking about this summer quite often. Surely more so, I’ve been thinking ahead. I’m pondering what I will do next. Continue reading “As Summer Ends”

The Shortcomings of Paradise

In previous writings, I said that Yellowstone has treated me well. The park is beautiful and striking and I am enjoying my work and the opportunities that may come from my employment. These things are true. Nevertheless, the experience isn’t what I thought it would be. Daily, I grapple with my perceived shortcomings of paradise. Happiness ebbs and flows and I’ve done much thinking to discover why. Continue reading “The Shortcomings of Paradise”

Here I Go Again

Travel should contain a good dose of tangent and so does my writing. The open road spawns adventure and introspection. I relish where I’m going and I take pride of where I’ve been. Truthfully however, the path from here to there is what is most rewarding.

Continue reading “Here I Go Again”

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Escape to the Mountains

Congaree was wonderful; however, after five months of flat, homogeneous land, I yearned for the mountains. The mountains are home. I missed the northern hardwoods, spring ephemerals, and trout streams. Hell, I even missed the rocks and Ericaceous species that I so often complained about. Springtime of the coastal lowland simply isn’t the striking rebirth that we see at more northern latitudes or higher elevations.

April may be considered the “off-season” for visiting our national parks. Only the hardy folks come out to enjoy nature in its rawest form – early spring. Among those ranks, I enjoy the appeal of having the place almost all to myself. What may look like a lifeless, cold, and wet landscape is actually the beginnings of a rebirth. The Great Smoky Mountains was not only going to renew my spirit but would also open my eyes to the great divide in our country. Continue reading “Great Smoky Mountains National Park”